


Coats Lost, Affections Won

by dearcaspian



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M, Short One Shot, Slice of Life, probable misinformation about chemistry equipment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 02:51:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14299170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearcaspian/pseuds/dearcaspian
Summary: A short story around the breakfast table, in which Cecil steals lab coats and Carlos is not fooled.





	Coats Lost, Affections Won

"This is neat. What does it do?"

Carlos looks from his half finished breakfast to see Cecil standing in the doorway, carefully cradling a piece of glassware as one would hold the body of an injured bird. He stares eagerly at the scientist, who blinks back, puzzled.

"It's called a Florence flask," he says as he puts down his fork. "It's ideal for boiling liquids. Where did you get it from?"

"Your office," Cecil says. He smiles delightedly, setting the flask delicately down next to the toaster. "Do you keep all your spare scientific equipment in there?"

It does not escape Carlos's notice that, for the third time this week, one of his casual lab coats hangs loosely over Cecil's startlingly orange pajamas, swishing about his ankles as he pours coffee into a chipped mug.

"And the lab coat?" he asks with some hesitation.

"Your closet," comes the reply after a satisfied sip. "I couldn't find my robe."

"It's hanging on the back of the door."

"No. Couldn't find it."

Carlos lifts his own coffee and hides his amusement behind it. It had become a favorite morning routine within the past few weeks for Cecil to wear one of his lab coats around the apartment before both of them headed off to their respective workplaces. Cecil had several robes of his own, but usually after wandering about in loudly detailed discomfort for a day or two, undoubtedly taxed by the annoyances his own clothing presented, he would end up back in one of Carlos's coats.

Carlos theorized if he went to check his laundry basket he would find the aforementioned robe hidden down at the bottom, hastily smothered. He did not mind. By all accounts, Cecil's strange reverence for his lab coats was almost endearing.

_ It's the official garb of a scientist, _ he had said on more than one occasion. _ I wish radio professionals had official robes. _

Carlos takes a bite of eggs and chews thoughtful, listening to the contented humming from the other side of the kitchen. The quiet is amiable, cut only by the clanking of kitchenware as Cecil prepared his own wheat-free breakfast.

"What is that?"

"Hmm?" 

He follows Cecil's pointed finger to the open pantry door. "Oh. It's a Dessicator. I'm not sure how it got there, actually."

"What does it do?" Cecil persists as he sits down, taking a huge bite of Council approved, fake toast.

"It's used often to keep particular chemicals from reacting with water."

"Mffph somfs neepft."

"Care to rephrase that?"

"I said, it sounds neat.  Can you show me how it works?"

Altogether unbidden, a rush of admiration and affection for the man across the table washes over Carlos. He breathes in deeply, an attempt to gather himself back together. Few people had ever been so enthusiastic about his work before, nevertheless about the most basic of scientific equipment found in any lab. It was an unusual but welcome change, he thinks, to have the support of a person he cares for the most.

"Sure," he promises warmly. "I'll teach you this afternoon."

"Excellent! And that one?"

"That's a test tube holder. I don't-"

"It's probably the Faceless Old Woman," Cecil tells him. "Lately she's had a fondness for relocating things."

"Oh? Did she relocate your other robe?"

"Possibly," Cecil says seriously, sipping his coffee in perfect nonchalance. "You may want to check on that later."


End file.
